Ar Maidin - Alfie Solomons
by sceawere
Summary: Alfie Solomons is a workaholic who hasn't been to sleep in a long time. His girlfriend is determined to fix that.


Camden didn't have a cycle to the day and night so much as it had disorienting, sudden switchovers. There was the bustle of work in the day, the burst of fun in the evening, the outright chaos of the night. There was never really a lull, except a clear hour before the dawn when everything seemed to stop. Too late for revellers, too early for workers, peace found a home here, nestled up to the buildings and slumbered.

You should have been slumbering too, wrapped up in the outrageously expensive sheets Alfie insisted on but never fucking slept in. Yet here you were, heels clacking down the damp steps of a goddamn illegal distillery.

The bakery was near pitch black underneath, the lamps off or burnt out. The light coming from the office tucked against the back wall threw everything into relief and made you squint, hands coming to rub tired eyes. Why couldn't you just love some normal boring office boy? A gasp of a laugh came from you at the thought and only grew when you saw Ollie tucked up in a huddle outside the office.

Back to the wall, knees to his chest, leaning against a barrel with his head back and mouth open. A gentle kick to his leg did little to rouse him, casting a look to your side to see Alfie bent over the desk inside. Another kick.

"Ollie"

Another.

"Ollie!"

He jumped awake, hand swinging out to grab a weapon that wasn't there.

"It's just me"

A sleepy grumble, hands trailing over eyes.

"What time is it?"

"God knows, late…early. Get yourself off home, I'll get someone in to cover you tomorrow. Today. Fuck it, I dunno, just go"

"No, I'll go when Alfie does"

"Awww, Ollie, that's sweet. Now piss off. Seriously. Get gone"

He pulled himself up, all gangly limbs and sleep filled, like a baby animal trying to right itself for the first time. He cast a look through the window too, turned to you with uncertain eyes, and then saw himself off into the shadows. Whether Alfie liked to acknowledge it in public or not, you were as much the boss as he was now, and Ollie at least knew how to pick his battles by now.

The office was warm and bright in comparison to the warehouse, almost cosy in its close air and dimmed lamps scattered around like stars in a constellation.

"Alfie"

He was studying multiple ledgers, scratching away at columns and numbers, a jumble only he could decipher.

"Alfie-"

"Ollie!" he bellowed off into the darkness and you felt almost hungover in your drowsy state, the noise rattling around your skull.

"I sent him home"

His brow furrowed for a moment, continuing away at his scratch, before his hand stilled and he looked up at you.

"You did what?"

"He was sleeping outside the door like a bloody puppy, Alfie. It's ain't right"

"He was where I needed him"

"Alfie, when's the last time you slept?"

He pulled his face into an expression that read 'stupid fucking question' and went back to scratching at numbers.

"Right, get up"

You set about turning the lamps off, lowering the light in the room until only his desk lamp was illuminated.

"The fuck you think you're doing, darlin'?"

"I-"you marched over to him, snatching the pencil from his hand and chucking it off somewhere across the desk. He made a noise at you, watching it fly away. "Am making sure you get some goddamn sleep"

"I'm fine, I am, sweetie, I promise"

"You haven't been back to the house in 2 days, napping in your chair for 20 minutes in between threatening people isn't healthy, Alfie"

You perched yourself on the armrest of his chair, bringing your arms around him and leaning your forehead against the side of his head.

"I miss you"

He sighed, bringing one hand up to wrap around your forearm, his rings glinting in the low light.

"I need to get these books done"

"You have a fucking accountant. I know, I sort out his pay stubs"

"I like doing 'em myself, I like-"

"Being a bloody control freak, I know" you pressed a kiss to his cheek, his scruff scratching against your chin.

"Careful"

"Or what, you'll spank me? I'd be surprised if you had the energy"

You felt him smile against you as you nuzzled your nose into his cheek.

"Although, if you were to come home, we have this giant bed…"

He grunted at your teasing tone and you trailed your hand up the side of his neck. His hand clenched around your arm and you thought for a second he might try to pull you into his lap.

"That we could just…conk the fuck out in. I mean, honestly just, be unconscious for days"

You pulled yourself back to sit straight on the armrest, looking at his with tongue in cheek, eyebrows raised.

His expression made you laugh out loud and swipe your hand back over his cheek, thumb tracing the shadows around his eyes.

"Mmmm…grumpy Alfie needs a nap"

"I will fucking shoot you, woman"

"No you fucking won't" you pushed your hands down on his shoulders to steady yourself and swung yourself round to stand in front of his chair, blocking his view of the ledgers.

"Get up, I'm taking you home"

He slumped back in the chair, dimming eyes staring back at you.

"What? What's that look?"

"Thank you"

"For what?"

"Looking after me"

"Oh piss off, you sap. Get your fine fucking arse out of that chair before I tie you to the goddamn couch already"

His eyebrows raised at that, a sleepy smirk crawling over his face.

"We're not fucking over the desk again, I nearly broke a rib last time, I swear to God, Alfie"

"You were fine" He heaved himself out of the chair with a groan, wincing and rubbing both hands over his hair. You flicked the lamp off and pushed away from the desk.

"God, I love such an old man"

"Yeah, yeah" he waved you off as you went over to retrieve his coat from where he'd chucked it on the seat next to the doorway. You could see him storming into the room, probably screaming at some poor lackey, chucking shit all over the place and then complaining to Ollie when he couldn't find it again.

"It's my sciatica, ain't it, always fucking plays up when-"he started mumbling to himself, flicking bits of paper around the desk.

"Your keys are here, love" you dangled them over your finger, leaning against the doorframe, and waited for him to amble over to you. He retrieved them with a scowl, fitting them in the lock before taking his coat from you.

"And if you slept in a proper bed once in a while, your back might be a little better"

"I'm going aren't I, yeah, do you see me leaving the office?"

"I see you"

He closed up the office, tugged his coat on, realised he'd left his hat and cane, unlocked the office, locked it again and then swung his arm around you. You stumbled off into the shadows together, and you realised as you went that you were making a slow march towards the light at the end of a fucking tunnel.

"How d'ya get here? If you were walking round the city by yourself-"

"I got my bodyguard to drive me, given that I have one of them now"

"I like knowing you're safe"

The sharp ring of his cane against the damp floor punctuated the journey the rest of the way as you climbed up into the dawn together. By the time you made it up, the sky was tinging pinker and a few people were dotted around, shifting shapes in the distance, rising as you fell. You leaned further into Alfie's side and savoured the warmth of him, lips pressed against your temple.

Once your guard/chauffeur came into sight he pulled away a little, releasing you enough for you to climb into the car, hand swatting lazily at your bum as you bent into the seat.

"I'm having you over that desk again"

"Alfie!"

"What?" his goddamn smirk as he crawled in after you, slouching back against the seat, half out of it already. The guard kept his head down and set off, driving you closer and closer to the big bed with the silky sheets and hopefully a few days of bloody peace.

You leant back against his shoulder, hand scratching at eyes as the growing sun stung at them, before you whispered.

"Only if I get to tie you to that bloody couch"


End file.
